I am a member of the very first LEAD class which provided a great opportunity for me train and develop into the Cox professional I am today. I truly enjoyed the lessons learned and relationships I have developed through the LEAD Program. During my time in the LEAD Program, my greatest accomplishment was serving as the Contour 2 Program Manager which resulted in me launching Netflix via the Contour 2 platform to a million Cox customers.

Post LEAD:

I manage a multitude of Technical Comm-Center programs for Field Operation’s Workforce Enablement team. Some of the tools I support include iNav, Oracle Field Service Cloud, and Capacity Management.

The LEAD Program is an extraordinary way to join a large company right after college. The exposure, support, challenge, and relationships we build make this program truly unique. After training, I started in the Field Services department working in financial and program management of projects that develop technology tools for our field technicians and other front line agents to use. My second role was within Cox Business. I worked on a large project that aimed to simplify the overall sales process for business customers. In addition I worked briefly on people change management in Cox Business, helping plan and execute on communications and training for various small initiatives.

Post LEAD:

My first role outside of LEAD was within the Governance Team of the Enterprise Portfolio Management Office (EPMO). In this role I helped enable the financial and operational success of projects across all departments. I collaborated with project teams to assess launch readiness, organizational impacts, financial health, and post launch success in preparation for executive level alignment meetings.

In August 2018, I transitioned to a new role within Cox Automotive. I am now working as a Product Strategy Analyst on the New Product Innovation team. It’s an exciting and creative space dedicated to identifying, researching, and piloting innovative technology that we can then leverage to improve how consumers buy, sell, own, and use vehicles. The core focus of our team is about engaging with new and emerging technology to continue to elevate Cox Automotive in the automotive industry.

I served as a member of the LEAD Leadership team from its inception through June of 2017. In short, I had 2 main responsibilities: 1) Lead/coach/mentor a team of 10 Project Managers and 2) Establish and govern a set of operational processes and procedures for the group including work intake, capacity management, performance management, and forecasting. As part of my operations role, we extended the LEAD operations model to the EPMO as a whole and now operate as a Central PMO, a one-stop shop for Project Management for the business. However, I am most proud of the work the team delivered, achieving high marks in “customer satisfaction” scores from our internal stakeholders and business partners.

Post LEAD:

I am serving as a Program Director for Harmony. Harmony is a multi-year, key program to implement a partially-hosted telephony model leveraging a 3rd party partner. This program requires heavy customer contact as we work to transition our customers to a new platform, and we must work carefully to ensure our customers has a positive experience as we work them through this transition. David Gooch serves as the Program Lead overall, and I will help David in managing the scope/schedule/budget to ensure we are delivering on our commitments to our end customers as well as internal stakeholders.

The LEAD Program is one of the best leadership training programs in the industry. The exposure to the various aspects of the business and the commitment to train future leaders is unparalleled. The Program enabled me to quickly learn the Cox culture and business philosophy in an atmosphere that promoted comradery while also developing the required skills and knowledge base to be successful in my work assignments. The LEAD Program has been a catalyst for providing me with tremendous opportunities within the Company and has also resulted in developing close friendships with many of my fellow LEADers.

Post LEAD:

As a Senior Project Manager, I will continue to use the skills I have obtained from LEAD while supporting the Internet and Digital Experience PD&M Team. I am responsible for planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. Day to day activities include partnering with project stakeholders, internal customers, external vendors, and cross-functional teams to execute on defined deliverables and drive key decisions.

I was fortunate to be a part of the second LEAD class, and after completing 2 years at Cox, I still can’t imagine a better decision than joining LEAD. The LEAD program provided me with unique opportunities to lead large teams and initiatives of scale by equipping me with the tools to influence without authority. During my time in LEAD, I led projects in Homelife, our home security and automation product, and was able to launch our Automation-only product enterprise wide – which has a significant financial impact on the future of our business. Through LEAD, I gained tight-knit relationships with the rest of my class, program and leadership team, and I have always felt valued and supported in taking on new, exciting challenges.

Post LEAD:

I will continue supporting the EPMO as a Project Manager II reporting to Dave Gooch. My current role is the Execution Lead of the Paying Journey on Unify. Unify is a multi-year, coordinated effort across functions to deliver friction-less journeys for our customers and employees. The Paying Journey includes all billing and payment-related items across Residential and Cox Business. As the Execution Lead, I’m responsible for the delivery of all key initiatives within the journey. I’m excited about this new chapter at Cox, and I thank the LEAD program for positioning me for success.

I joined Cox Communications as part of the first LEAD Program in October 2015 after graduating from Clemson University. After completing the LEAD training, I worked as the Go-to-Market Project Manager on the Data Usage Billing program within the Residential CHSI department, leading a cross-functional team of Business and Technology departments for the national rollout of the project. I then had the opportunity to serve as the Program Manager on the Data Usage Billing program. After completing this first rotation, I rotated to the Engineering department to lead the Cox Business Harmony project. My experience with LEAD couldn’t have been better! I made amazing friends, was exposed to almost every part of the company, and learned to apply my project management skills and experiences in various environments.

Post LEAD:

I now report into the Cox Business PMO group, which is part of the EPMO. The Cox Business PMO team supports delivery of the various projects within the Cox Business Product group. I will continue with my role in Engineering on the Cox Business Harmony project as we complete our trials and launch to customers.

I enjoyed being a part of LEAD program very much: from meeting lifelong friends to learning the ins and outs of Project Management at Cox – it has been a fantastic journey. I am grateful for all of the support and guidance provided to us by the leaders of the program and other teams within the company. I’ve learned everything I need to be successful at Cox from the incredible experiences I had during the two rotations as a LEAD Project Manager. The first project I worked on was Panoramic WiFi, it enabled us to provide Cox customers with the best in class WiFi service by offering a complete “Own The Home” Internet experience. During the second rotation, I helped to build the foundation of the Accessibility Program which later gave me the opportunity to make it my primary responsibility.

Post LEAD:

I joined Product Development and Management, CHSI team as a Product Specialist for Diversity Products, focusing on Accessibility. In my new role, I am responsible for the continued development and awareness of the Accessibility needs within our products and services. I am working closely with other cross-functional teams to drive Accessibility initiatives as well as improve the customer experience for users with disabilities.

The LEAD program is an excellent leadership training program. LEAD enabled me to experience the business from multiple perspectives through which I developed great relationships and led efforts that significantly contributed to the company’s success. While in LEAD, I served as a project manager for Finance and for Cox Business Technology. For Finance, we delivered advancements in Business Intelligence and for CB Technology, we delivered reductions in operational cost as well as network improvements for our business customers.

Post-LEAD

I’m currently serving as a Project Manager for NT2.0. NT2.0 is currently the largest key program and will radically evolve our network and delivery capabilities. Along with other responsibilities, I will specifically focus on NT2.0 Planning to ensure our coordinated delivery of expected long-term results.

I was a part of the LEAD 2 class and I found the LEAD Program to be one of a kind. I could not be more thankful that the LEAD program was my first job post graduation. The Program was welcoming and quickly introduced me to the Cox culture and business. The exposure to company leadership and various business departments was a breath of fresh air. The LEAD program challenged me in many ways, but they were also a great resource and support system which allowed me to excel in my rotation and daily assignments. The LEAD Program provided me with vast opportunities and a work family here at Cox.

Post LEAD:

As a Senior Communication Specialist with the Cox Public Affairs team, I will continue to use the framework and skills that I have received from the LEAD program. I am now responsible for Cox Business communications, legal and compliance communications, new business and strategy, speaker engagement and communications around the Cox phone product.

My time with LEAD has been very rewarding! I am very thankful for the opportunity to learn grow and evolve with a program such as this one. It has provided me the opportunity to gain great exposure within the company, challenge me professionally, and a chance to work with amazing people.

Post LEAD:

I will be working with the Strategic Sourcing & Procurement team in Supply Chain where I will be responsible for managing the intake of all of the Direct Category RFP’s, specifically associated with the NT2.0 program. Additionally, I will also be helping establish a streamlined process around our supplier excellence initiative, which is to improve our vendor scorecard around on-time delivery and performance.

I joined LEAD in June 2016 after graduating from Georgia Tech. Through LEAD, I had the opportunity to work in multiple departments and cross-functionally. My projects have ranged from driver monitoring software to launching a third-party copyright infringement monitoring platform; I have had the opportunity to manage multiple projects simultaneously, as well as be one project manager on a massive program. Through LEAD, I have made amazing friends and gained an unbelievable amount of experience. I have been constantly supported by my leaders and peers and always feel welcomed at work.

Post LEAD:

I will continue to work on projects within the EPMO and will be reporting to Dianna Suggs. My new project will be focused on Self Install, which is a vital aspect to the continued success of Cox products.

LEAD provided an excellent foundation for project management and enabled me to join a great company in a rapidly-changing industry. The knowledge, tools and skills acquired during the upfront training period allowed me to shift relatively easily into a new profession. The rotational nature of LEAD was outstanding in that it provided exposure to different parts of the business, expanded my network and enabled me to leverage my project management skills in a variety of settings. I am incredibly impressed with the developmental nature of the program and am looking forward to watching LEAD’s continued success.

Post LEAD:

As a Project Manager II, I will continue to work on projects within the Operations Process Management group. Projects within this department center heavily around simplifying the business and reducing unwanted transactions for both Cox customers and agents. I will also continue my work to map the current Operations landscape at Cox and identify opportunities for cross-functional alignment and improvement.

I joined LEAD upon graduating from the University of Georgia in mid-2016. My rotational experience centered around a variety of data-driven initiatives including the deployment of DOCSIS 3.1, an expansion of product offerings over fiber and customer equipment upgrades. I spent time in the Customer Care and Product segments of the business. I was an inaugural member of the LEAD Social Board, distributed program newsletters and created a bulk of the recruiting collateral for prospective new LEAD candidates. I am so grateful for the tactical foundation and immediate community that LEAD provided to me and couldn't imagine a better first job.

Post LEAD:

I am working as a Project Manager II reporting to Carrie Douglas. My responsibilities involve supporting the N+0 initiative, seeking to improve the customer experience by upgrading and decongesting Cox's network. I am excited about the new chapter in my journey at Cox, and I am so proud to be an alumna of the LEAD program.

Joining LEAD was one of the best decisions I made career wise. LEAD not only provided me the essential tools and skills I needed to perform my job successfully, it also gave me the opportunity to learn and explore in areas of the business as well as Technology. I can honestly say I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the LEAD program. I feel honored to have been a part of the inaugural class. My class came from all different backgrounds, and I loved how we would support one another and made sure each of us was successful. I have made lifelong friendships with people in the LEAD program, and I look forward to seeing each of us grow and succeed in our careers.

Post LEAD:

I continue to perform as a Project Manager in our EPMO group. The great thing about the EPMO is you can be selected to manage projects across the business. I was recently the project and program manager for our new video platform, and successfully led my teams to launch five releases in under two years. Through my projects, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with numerous people across different departments at Cox. In my new role, I will be working with our High Speed Internet group to manage the market trials and launches of our new internet and data platforms.

My experience in the LEAD program was phenomenal! The program made my introduction to the Cox organization seamless. LEAD training provided great insights about various department functions across Cox Communications which helped me to connect the dots and understand the landscape of the organization. It also helped me to hone my project management skills, prior to the start of my first project rotation, which served as the foundation for my success. Ultimately, the continual support from the LEAD leadership and the EMPO organization helped me to build confidence in my ability to effectively manage complex projects.

I am grateful for the opportunities that LEAD offered me beyond my project management work as well. As a participant of the program, I was able to gain access to senior leaders across Cox Communications, lead high profile projects and develop meaningful relationships with my peers. The program also afforded me the opportunity to pursue my PMP certification, which allowed me to accelerate my project management knowledge.

Post LEAD:

At this time my role remains the same. I am a Project Manager for the Harmony program. I serve as the lead for Customer Operations to ensure Sales, Marketing, Care, Customer Experience and Field Services are aligned as we to continue to migrate our voice customers from circuit switch to packet switch technology. The goal is to migrate Cox customers to an enhanced digital offering and provide a better service.

As a LEAD member, I rotated through our Legal and Field Services departments. In both rotations, I was allowed to manage projects that directly influence Cox’s business operations. I’ve learned so much through LEAD and I’m very excited about the futures of our LEAD 2 and 3 members.

Post LEAD:

In my new role, I will be working in our EPMO department, under Dan Luetkemeyer.

I had the pleasure of joining the LEAD program as part of the second class in 2016. My rotational experience varied from projects in the Operational group organizing their financial management to leading the charge of new a technological delivery of the Cox video product . Through LEAD, I have made amazing friends and gained an unbelievable amount of experience. I am immensely grateful for the LEAD program and all the wonderful mentors and opportunities that were presented to me.

Post Lead:

I will continue to work on projects within the EPMO reporting to Daniel Luetkemeyer. My day-to-day work will focus around the Video Product group.